Freedom
by Settiai
Summary: By the age of eighteen, there were exactly two things that Kaywinnit Lee Frye loved to do.


Title: Freedom

Author: Settiai

Disclaimer: "Firefly" and other related characters are all properties of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and other related corporations. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the show, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned show and characters.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: By the age of eighteen, there were exactly two things that Kaywinnit Lee Frye loved to do.

Feedback: Comments and helpful criticisms are always appreciated.

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By the age of eighteen, there were exactly two things that Kaywinnit Lee Frye loved to do: fix engines and have sex.

Since she was old enough to walk, everyone within a two day's journey in any direction knew that the little Frye girl had a gift with mechanics. When she started school, the teacher never bothered calling her pa whenever something broke down inside the rickety old building. Miss Stone always waited until the end of the day -- after everyone was getting ready to leave -- to ask Kaylee to stay after.

When she turned twelve, though, things changed. Miss Stone became Mrs. Owens, and -- after her wedding -- she moved to another town almost an entire day's journey away. Her replacement, Mr. Martin, didn't make Kaylee stay after to fix anything that broke. He just let the rest of the class go to lunch early, or home early if it was in the afternoon, and then turn her loose on whatever was wrong. Then, after the problem was fixed, he ruffled her hair and called her "the brightest student he'd ever taught."

Kaylee never loved school, though, not like some of her other siblings. Because of that fact, she was more thrilled than sad when her pa asked her to come work with him as a mechanic. The only pang of sadness she felt stemmed from the fact that she wouldn't see Mr. Martin again. At barely twenty, he wasn't even six years older than her, and, with his sandy brown hair and bright blue eyes, she had developed quite a crush on him over the past two years.

She found it fairly amusing to discover that it hadn't been entirely one-sided.

Fixing machines that were broken had always made Kaylee feel free, like she had nothing holding her down. She thought that nothing else in the 'verse would give her that feeling… until her "goodbye Mr. Martin" turned into a surprised "call you Tom?" followed by a frantic kiss and an even more frantic race to undress.

It felt like she had finally discovered who she was.

Her folks knew, of course. Maybe not that she had slept with her former teacher -- though, when Mr. Mar… Tom left town a month later, she wondered -- but they knew their little girl wasn't a virgin anymore.

Of course, the only thing her ma told her was "if you wind up pregnant, at least make sure the father's a man who won't go running."

Her pa didn't say a word. He just gave her a warning look, one that she could read as clear as day. _Don't be yúchûn… or else."_

Kaylee listened to his unspoken warning without question for almost three years. She was careful not to have sex with anyone who might have some disease, and she always used some form of protection… usually whatever she managed to borrow from her oldest sister. Most of the time she looked for men in their mid-twenties: not old enough to cause her pa to kill anyone but still mature enough to know how to have some fun.

She finally made a mistake when a new family moved in nearby. Their youngest son, Bobby, looked to be about her age, and she didn't see any problem with saying "yes" when he asked her if she wanted to sneak off to her family's barn and have a little tumble in the hay.

When she found out he was barely fourteen, it really didn't bother her too much. Kaylee herself had only been a little older than that when she'd lost her virginity -- not that Bobby was a virgin by any means -- and there'd been a whole six years between her and Tom. His folks didn't seen it that way, though, nor did her own.

After that, Kaylee swore not to mess around with anyone who might even possibly be younger than her. Since she usually found herself attracted to men older than her anyway, it wasn't too much of a problem. There were plenty of unmarried men around -- the married ones were another group that she swore to keep off limits, mainly because most of the women around knew how to use a gun -- not to mention the captains, pilots, mechanics, and other crewmembers of ships that passed through.

It wasn't that she was "loose" -- in fact, the last person to call her that had ended up with a broken nose and the knowledge that Kaylee had very good aim with a wrench. She just loved feeling alive… and sex was one of two things that guaranteed her that feeling. So, because of that, she'd have fun with pretty much any handsome man who gave her the time of day.

That's how she met Bester.

Kaylee was barely even eighteen, and she'd been spending most of her time hanging around town with nothing to do. There wasn't even enough business for one person at her pa's place, not to mention two. There had been a few new ships in town over the past week, and she hoped to find someone interesting who'd be willing to try something a little more adventurous than what she was used to.

She ran into him at the local store where he was trying to find some engine parts. One look at her, and he forgot all about whatever it was he was trying to find -- and, truth be told, Kaylee was fairly certain he hadn't had a clue as to what he was looking for to begin with.

They slipped away to his ship, a Firefly that made Kaylee shiver with anticipation when she stepped onboard, and he started to lead her to his bunk. Before they got very far, though, she tugged on his sleeve. "You're the mechanic right?"

When he nodded, she laughed and gave him a wink. "How about we go to the engine room instead then?" she asked. One look at her face, and he agreed without question.

The was pretty good… nothing really special, but Bester was definitely vigorous. Of course, what really stuck in her mind after the fact was the captain's face when he walked in on the two of them.

Kaylee was careful let on, but she was pretty embarrassed at being caught. The thoughts of _ai ya my pa's gonna kill me_ might have had something to do with that though.

Her embarrassment faded quickly when Bester spewed off some nonsense about the grav boot needing fixed. "No it ain't" flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself, and everything that followed… well, for once, she was glad that her mouth was faster than her brain.

Her parents were little hesitant about letting their baby girl go flying off with on some strange ship, but it took her less than an hour's worth of begging to convince them. Then she packed her bags, said her goodbyes, and headed towards the stars. Towards freedom.

By the age of eighteen, there was exactly one thing that Kaywinnit Lee Frye loved to do: take care of Serenity.


End file.
